Coffee And Moving On
by Marymel
Summary: Riley meets an old friend at a conference...and opens up about her son.


**I don't own CSI.**

**This is a different kind of "Jackson" story. While Riley was never one of my favorite characters, I did like her friendship with Wendy. And I wondered, since I wrote a story about Greg introducing Jackson to Wendy and since Wendy is now a CSI, I wondered what might happen if the two women met again. So, here's what I came up with. Hope you all enjoy...and please review!**

Riley Adams hated conferences. She loved her job as a CSI, but she hated sitting still and listening to people tell her how to do her job when she knew...or at least _thought_ she knew...how to do her job. But, according to her boss at the Chicago Crime Lab, she had to attend a conference in Portland, Oregon. So, on a rainy afternoon, she found herself window shopping at some of the local shops.

She sighed when she came to a toy store and saw the toys and books on display in the window. She thought of her son, Jackson, and how the little boy was truly better off with his father, Greg Sanders, in Vegas. Even though she never really connected with him and didn't want to be a mother, she still loved Jackson, and knew she'd done the right thing in giving up custody.

"Oh, my God...Riley?"

A woman's voice brought her out of her thoughts. Riley turned around and saw the smiling face of her old friend, Wendy Simms.

"Wendy!" Riley smiled. "Oh, wow! I haven't seen you in...four years?"

"Yeah," Wendy agreed with a smile.

"Well, what are you doing here?"

"I live here now. I'm a CSI with the Crime Lab here."

Riley's jaw dropped in surprise. "Really?! Wow! That's awesome!"

"Yeah," Wendy said with a smile. "I'm a CSI Level Two now. I've been here for about two years."

"That's wonderful, really." Riley smiled at her old friend.

"So, are you here for the conference?"

"Yeah," Riley said with a nod. "I'm not a big fan of them, but I have to come."

Wendy nodded. "Well, my favorite coffee shop is just over here." She gestured to a small coffee shop two stores down. "Can I buy you a cup of coffee?"

Riley smiled thoughtfully. "Sure."

As they walked to the coffee shop, Riley thought about her time in Vegas with Wendy and the rest of the team. "So...when did you leave Vegas?"

"About two and a half years ago," Wendy explained. "I'd been thinking about it for a while when I came to visit my sister here, and I interviewed for a job. Catherine was nice enough to send some recommendations for me."

Riley nodded. "Wow, that's...really great."

Wendy smiled thoughtfully. "I heard about what you wrote in your exit interview."

Riley nodded as they sat at a small table in the coffee shop. "I was venting. I...got tired of being a babysitter for Langston and..." she sighed deeply. "I just thought I wasn't valued."

Wendy looked at her old friend, confused. "So...you gave the team a really unfair review?"

With a heavy sigh, she explained, "I was mad. I thought...maybe if I'd known Grissom a while longer before he left, maybe if I'd been a little more open myself...I would've had more of a home there."

"Riley, you were an important member of the team," Wendy insisted.

Shaking her head, Riley said, "I wish I'd known that then. But I felt like I was Langston's babysitter...Nick and Greg always tried to include me in stuff..."

Wendy smiled thoughtfully when Riley trailed off. Clearing her throat, she said, "I saw Greg a while back when I went back to Vegas for a conference."

Riley looked at her in surprise. "You did?"

Wendy nodded. "And...I met your son."

Riley sighed deeply. "Jackson."

"He's beautiful," Wendy said with a small smile.

"Yeah," Riley said, looking down at her coffee mug. "He looks just like his father."

Wendy nodded. "Greg said he has custody?"

With a deep sigh, Riley began, "Yeah. I got into some...trouble a while back. I was at a crime scene and this guy was hanging around. I saw him, he started to run...I yelled for him to stop and when he didn't..."

"You shot him?"

Riley nodded. "My boss and I rolled him over and...that's when he saw the guy's badge. He was an undercover cop investigating a drug dealer at a nearby house."

Wendy looked away and sighed. "I heard about that on the news. I'm so sorry."

Riley looked up and smiled slightly. "Thanks. Anyway, I knew...I knew I'd have to face an inquest. So I got Jackson and headed to Vegas. That's when Greg met his son for the first time."

Wendy said nothing, but looked at her old friend intently.

"I don't know why I never told Greg about Jackson until then," Riley said, looking away thoughtfully. "And me giving Jackson to him wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing...I'd drawn up legal papers a couple of months before. I know this is going to sound horrible...but I never connected with him. I always left him with daycare and babysitters and just...never connected with him. So, when the shooting happen, I took Jackson and the legal papers to Vegas and left my son with his father."

Wendy exhaled. "I'm sorry."

Riley shook her head. "I'm not. I know it sounds bad...but I know Jackson's better off. Greg loves him and cares for him and gives him the attention and care that I never could...or did."

Wendy smiled thoughtfully. "Have you talked to Greg since?"

"Yeah. I know he's getting married and...his fiancee is going to adopt Jackson." She looked down at her coffee cup, took a deep breath, and said, "I know it sounds horrible, but I don't miss him."

Wendy's eyes widened in surprise. "You don't?"

Riley shook her head. "I never connected with him...and now that he's with his father...and Greg is a great father...I know he's okay."

Wendy nodded. "I'm sorry."

Riley sighed deeply. "I am, too, but I don't doubt that I did the right thing for my son."

Wendy nodded and smiled thoughtfully.

"Anyway," Riley continued, "I was suspended and had to go to anger management classes."

"Sounds like fun," Wendy said.

Riley smiled thoughtfully. "I guess I just didn't want to admit that I wasn't in control of everything and that it was okay to get close to people. I guess that's why I never felt at home in Vegas. Anyway, I know Jackson's okay. Greg still sends me pictures, and Jackson drew me a homemade Christmas card." She smiled, remembering how Jackson loved to draw.

Wendy smiled. "Yeah, I still talk to Nick, Sara and Henry. They said that Jackson usually has a crayon in his hand."

Riley laughed softly. "Yeah."

Wendy gazed at her old friend. "I wish things could have worked out better for you in Vegas."

Riley smiled softly. "So do I...but I know Jackson and Greg are with each other, where they belong."

Wendy smiled. "Yeah."

"So," Riley began with a sigh. "Um...who's Sara?" Wendy looked at Riley, confused. "You said you talk to someone named Sara in Vegas."

"Oh, Sara Sidle. She was with the team before you came and she came back after you left."

Riley thought for a moment. "The name sounds familiar."

"She and Nick and Greg have always been like siblings. You know, she's married to Grissom now?"

"Oh, yeah?"

Wendy nodded. "No one knew they were dating until...ever hear of the Miniature Killer?"

Riley nodded slowly. "Yeah, the killer that left miniatures of the crime scenes."

"Yeah. The killer kidnapped her and left her to die under a car."

Riley shuddered softly.

"After she was rescued," Wendy continued, "She worked on Swing for a while before she left to get her head together. That was a few months before you came to Vegas."

Riley nodded. "After their friend was killed by the undersheriff."

"Warrick," Wendy said softly with a nod. "He and Nick were best friends, closer than brothers. And he and Greg were good friends too."

Riley looked somber as she stared at her coffee mug. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Wendy smiled thoughtfully at her friend. "Riley...that team is a family. And, whether you know it or not, you were a part of that."

Riley shook her head and looked up. "Maybe...but I know Jackson is doing so well. Greg said he loves all of his aunts and uncles at the lab." She smiled when she thought about her son, remembering how he and Greg hit it off when they first met. "I don't know why I never told Greg about Jackson sooner. They love each other so much."

Wendy smiled. "That's wonderful. When I met Jackson with Greg, I could tell that little boy was his life."

Riley smiled thoughtfully. "Good. I know I shouldn't have been scared or kept them apart...but I know now that I did what was right for them. That's why I don't miss Jackson." She looked and saw Wendy's thoughtful expression. "I think about him...wonder what he's doing and all...but I know he's okay." She smiled, thinking of her son with his father. "I know he's okay," she said with certainty.

"That's great," Wendy said honestly. "I think it sounds like you're a good mom."

Riley shook her head. "I wasn't really, but I did do what was right for him when it mattered."

The two friends smiled and shared a comfortable silence for a few moments. "So," Wendy said after a bit, "How are things?"

Riley laughed softly. "Good. I'm a CSI Level Three now, and I've started dating. I met a professor a while back...he teaches history."

"That's good," Wendy said. "Really."

"How about you?" Riley asked. "You talk to Hodges? You two really had something."

"Something," Wendy said with a deep sigh. "I talked to him when I was back in Vegas. He seemed...good. He mentioned he met someone while he and his mom were on vacation in Italy."

Riley's eyes widened. "Wow, really?"

Wendy nodded. "Yeah. You know...I sometimes think about what might have happened between us. But, like you...I guess I just know I did the right thing in moving on."

"That's kind of different," Riley said. "But I understand."

"Yeah," Wendy said softly.

Just then, Wendy's cell rang. She glanced and read a text message. "It's from my boss. I gotta get to work.

Riley nodded. "Oh, of course." As Wendy stood up to leave, Riley said, "Listen...thanks for this. It really was great to see you again."

"You too." Wendy wrote her number on a napkin. "Here's my cell number. If you ever want to talk or anything, don't hesitate to call."

Riley smiled. "Okay. Thank you."

"So...talk to you later?"

"Sure," Riley said.

As Wendy left, Riley thought about her time in Vegas. She knew she shouldn't have been so angry and left the way she did. But she also knew she'd grown a lot since then. And, as much as she often thought about Jackson and Greg, she knew they were where they belonged...with each other.

**The End.**


End file.
